Cleat or lag for conveyer-chains.



J. H. MINER. GLEAT 0R LAG FOR CONVBYER CHAINS. APPLICATION FILED MAB. a, 1912.

1,048,848, Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

liweni'o r;

JAMES II. MINER, OF LUMBER/TON, MISSISSIPPI.

CLEAT OR LAG FOR CONVEYER-CHAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,463.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, James H. MINER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lumberton, Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleats or Lags for Conveyer-Chains, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the improvements in cleats for conveyer chains and has among others for its object to provide an extremely simple and economical. construction which may be readily applied to the links of the chain and firmly secured thereto and which may be easily tightened whenever it may be found to be working loose.

With these and possibly other objects in view, the invention contains the novel features of construction hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a portion of the conveyer chain with my improved cleat applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation with the cleat in place. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the cleat as it is being inserted in the link, Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form of cleat, and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing this form of cleat as applied to the link.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the numeral 1 designates the links of an ordinary conveyer chain, such as used in carrying off the refuse from saw-mills, and 2 the improved cleat or lag. This is made of any suitable metal and is provided with an elongated slot 3 providing two parallel arms 2* and 2 which have recesses a and b designed to engage the sides of the link, as shown in Fig. 2. The slot 3 may be placed nearer to one edge of the cleat so as to form a reduced portion 2 of such dimensions as to enable thearm 2 to have some elasticity, the outer portion of the arm 2 'being widened out or thickened to afford sufficient metal for the seat a. The outer end of the arm 2 is provided with an inclined face a part of which is formed by a malleable tongue 4. In applying the cleat to a chain link the seat or recess 6 is placed against the side of one of the bars of the link, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the inclined surface brought against the opposite bar of the link, as indicated in said figure. The

chain link being held rigidly, upward movement of the outer end of the cleat 2 causes the inclined face P to pass under the lower surface of the bar of the link, the arm 2 yielding sufficiently to permit this movement until the recess a is engaged by the bar of the link, as shown in Fig. 2. When the parts are in this position, the malleable tongue 41- is driven inwardly, bearing against the surface of the arm 2*, and acting as a wedge, tending in such movement to force the arms apart and cause them to tightly engage the bars of the links. If, when in use, there be any tendency for the cleat to loosen, it may be quickly tightened by driving the wedge 4- a little farther in. If desired the end of the tongue 4* may be slightly roughened or serrated to give a better holding action.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, instead of forming the wedge member integral with one of the arms, I provide a separate wedge member 4 which is adapted to be driven in between arms 2 and 2", the wedge member 4 being preferably roughened or provided with file grooves to resist any tendency of the same to work out. In this form I may make the recess 3 exactly in the center of the cleat, thus making the two arms duplicates of each other.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A cleat or lag for conveyer chains comprising a body member having a recess extending inward from the end thereof forming two spaced arms, said arms havin seats for receiving the bars of a chain lin and means for holding the arms apart, substantially as described.

2. A cleat or lag for conveyer chains comprising a body member having a recess extending inward from the end thereof forming two spaced arms, said arms having seats for receiving the bars of a chain link, and wedging means for forcing said arms apart, substantially as described.

3. A cleat or lag for conveyer chains comprising a body'member having a recess extending inward from the end thereof forming two spaced arms, said arms having seats for receiving the bars of a chain link, and wedging means integral with one of the arms for forcing said arms apart, substantially as described.

4:. A cleat or lag for conveyer chains com- Patented Dec. 31,1912.

the space between said arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. MINER.

prising a body member having a bifurcated portion forming parallel arms, said arms having oppositely facing seats for engaging the bars of a link and one of said arms having an inclined end face adapted to ride under the surface of one of the link bars, lVitnesses: said arm having an integral malleablewedge A. S. HINToN, projection adapted to be bent inwardly into H. C. YAWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

